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Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Ancient Dread: Totuga - Strongbow, Mug & Alta

Arriving
at Totuga, the party disembarks the Virtuous
Maiden for a few days while the ship resupplies.Ka-Rhan, the gnome assassin, says his
farewells and departs.

Inport - Strongbow, Mug, & Alta

Asking Mug, his Orc servant,
whether he would like to go into town and perform any devotions to his faith,
the Church of Taut, Mug replies “Mug taught to be open to all paths of faith. Mug not know
how to worship Taut"

"Mug apologize for being
deficient"

Knowing that Mug has been raised a
slave, it comes as no surprise that his former owners kept him as ignorant as
they could outside of what they felt he needed to know.Strongbow has no such foolish reservations.

"No need to apologize. Would
you like to visit a church of your faith or explore other options?"

"Mug shall do as Master wishes.
If Master wish to show Mug new path, Mug shall follow."

Over the course of the next few
hours, Strongbow explains the basic precepts of the True Church of
Dragonwright, his own faith, to Mug.Mug
proves to be an enthusiastic learner.True enchantment fills his eyes as he listens to stories of Kym-Nark-Mar,
Korameth, Zandragal and even Styphon, the dark god of the pantheon.During the instruction, everytime Strongbow
mentions Kym-Nark-Mar’s name, he gets a flash of giant reptilian eye and the
feeling that it is expressing a deep, foreboding interest in him as well as a sense of patience as the wheels of a universal plan slowly turn in place. After a time, he sends
Mug out to pick up fletcher supplies, rooster feathers and willow by Mug’s
preference.Turning, he finds Alta, the
ship’s mate, standing by him.

During the voyage, she felt that she
had seen him before but couldn’t remember where.Finally a memory struck her.At a formal function many years before, a
noble family was present from the Far Pendletor region of the Land of the South
Winds.Her family, prominent fishing
magnates, had also been invited to attend.Among the noble party was a tall, dark haired male, the same male that
had been travelling with them on the Virtuous
Maiden these last few weeks. She confronts him with this fact and asks him
pointedly why an Elf from such an important family is out playing
adventurer.

“It’s a simple story”, he
explains.“ My older brother is a gifted
politician but he comes across as aloof and standoff-ish.The people don’t love him.I have little desire to be involved in all
those games so have spent my time out with the soldiers and the common
folk.I left home for a time to make his
ascension easier when our Mother retired.”

"Any good sailor knows that a
competent leader is better than a likeable one. So long as he has good people
to smooth things over” Alta responds.Her tone strongly implies that she has someone in mind when she mentions
‘good people’.

"Oh I
fully support him. We both just needed to get our feet wet and strengthen our
positions first.”

"Then your house shall find
good standing I imagine. How is your line?" Again she uses a suggestive
tone.

Strongbow responds with his own
suggestion "We're one of the last elven houses in the world, it's
sometimes hard to find new blood.”He
winks at her with a smirk on his face.

"Oh my, is m'lord flirting with
a humble fishing girl?”She draws in
close to him. “What would the others say?"

“I don't think there's anything
'humble' about you and yes I am. I doubt a group that accepts a broken boy and
a goblin love slave will be concerned. “

"Well then, my Lord, perhaps we
can see about keeping the elven blood strong in the South Winds, should your
wit prove strong enough to go beyond mere words".

"Your 'wit,' yes.” She replies,
”Also more than a night's consideration. Assuming you are as skilled with your
arrow as you are with your bow"

"Then we'll take things slow
and see where they lead."The kiss
the they share doesn’t end on the deck.

Later, he takes her to a café in the heart of the city.They spend the hours talking about their
lives.She spends most of her time on
her years at sea and talks almost none of her home life.She also asks little of Strongbow’s time at
court but is more interested in his adventures across the Palladium world. It’s
late when they return to the ship, walking much closer to each other than they
had been previously.

Back on the ship, Macintyre seems
impressed and comments that Alta has rebuked other suitors in the past. Those
that pressed too hard wound up with their literal pride wounded.

"I wish you luck lad."

Alta takes to singing every now and
then usually to help keep up morale singing chanties and the like, but tonight
she's singing a song about love. Anyone who listens is captivated by her voice.Strongbow with an unusual sense of intuition
for a male, whistles along.She notices
and smiles.